Swiping safely: Tinder adds STD clinic locator feature

Tinder, a popular online dating app withinthe college crowd, is sparking a new type of conversation among its users. Instead oftrading cheesy pick-up lines, they can now broach a significantly more serious topic: health.

In January, the app, which boasts an estimated 50 million users, introduced a new Health Safety feature to its interface that allows users to easily search for free STD testing clinics in the area.

“I think it’s a pretty fantastic effort on (Tinder’s) part,” says Stephaine Fouts, a junior at Washington and Lee University and the president of the university’s Sexual Health Awareness Group. “It would make sense that the increased use of apps like Tinder and Grindr corresponds to the increase in the spread of STDs, so I think it’s really great of them to take the initiative to try to do something about it.”